Forgiven
by AppleTart290
Summary: After the War Aang and his friends go back to the Southern Air Temple so Aang can put Gyatso to rest and confront his past mistakes. Very Slight Kataang and Happy Ending


Okay I was watching an Episode of 7th Heaven a while back and something that Lucy Camnden said really stuck out at me as something Aang would say or be feeling about the other airbenders (I don't really remember so I'm paraphrasing),

_"My friend died a few years ago, she was on her way to pick me up when she died in a car crash and I always thought it was partially my fault. I know that if I could bring her back for just two minutes, what I would do is ask for her is forgiveness. I know it sounds selfish, but I would give anything for her to forgive me and tell me that it wasn't my fault that she died. I would give anything"_

This oneshot takes place post war and I decided that Aang deserves to be forgiven for his mistake so that's how this spawned, it ends happily ;D mentions of Kataang.

Thanks to my beta Hadriani

me no owny you know suey

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* * *

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**Forgiven**

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you Aang?" Katara asked, she knew that returning to the Southern Air Temple would be hard on him and she wanted to be there to comfort him.

"No, Katara I need to do this alone," Aang responded. He didn't want his friends to see what his actions may do to him emotionally.

"Okay, but if you need us just call," Katara said still concerned

Aang took a deep breath in as he left his friends in the court yard of The Southern Air Temple. He felt a searing pain with every step he took for two reasons. The first reason was that he was still badly hurt from his final battle with Ozai, which had only been a few weeks ago. The second reason was that he knew he was going to face his master's remains once again, it killed Aang to see Gyatso like that, but he knew what he had to do.

Aang arrived at the tent where his friend laid, he took a deep breath and walked in. He looked around, nothing had changed since the group's last visit. The place was still as depressing as it was before. Only now the place was more in ruins, because he had entered the Avatar State last time. His eyes wondered to the body of his old friend. Tears began to form in Aang's eyes as he approached Gyatso's skeleton. He knelt in front of Gyatso and looked at his body for a few minutes. Finally the young airbender approached his master and carefully lifted him up in his arms. Once Aang had Gyatso's limp remains securely in his arms he walked out of the tent leaving behind the firebenders who murdered his people to rot there for the rest of eternity.

Aang began airbending himself and Gyatso up the steep, ragged cliffs around the Southern Air Temple, hoping to find a nice spot to bury his friend. After about an hour of searching Aang finally found a good place for his friend to rest. Aang gently placed Gyatso on the ground and with one simple move a small hole was formed in the ground next to Gyatso's body. Aang gently placed Gyatso, his master, his teacher, his friend, and his father figure into the grave. After taking one last look of what remained of his friend, Aang sealed the grave with one simple earthbending move. Aang made a small rock pop up just above the grave, he carefully began to in grave a message on it with earthbending,

_Gyatso_

_When all others showed me respect, this man showed me love. _

_In Loving Memory of_

_Gyatso and all the Airbenders who died in Sozin's Genocide_

Aang lost it

He lost any calmness that he may have had, he broke down. He began sobbing wildly as he hunched himself over Gyatso's newly made grave. Aang couldn't stop crying, he felt his hot tears slide down his cheeks as he continued frantically sobbing. He felt as though he were bleeding to death, it was as if every fiber of his being was screaming in inextinguishable pain. Aang felt as if it was burning him to death.

Suddenly he felt as though a huge gust of wind had blasted through him as his arrow started to glow and he entered the Spirit World.

* * *

"Aang," a voice called 

"Roku?" Aang asked as his past life stepped in front of him.

"Hello Aang," Roku said and Aang bowed to his past life.

"Aang, congratulations you have defeated the Firelord Ozai and restored balance to the world," Roku said. All Aang could do was politely smile as Roku said this. "But you don't feel any better do you?" Aang was surprised; Roku had read him like a map. Aang was so surprised that he didn't see the smile form on the old man's face. "Aang, the other avatars and I decided that the only way you can continue to bring balance to the world is if you are balanced within yourself. The only way you will be able to gain balance within yourself is if you come to terms with your past."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked

"Aang, there's someone who's been waiting to talk to you." Roku said as a man walked from behind a large tree. Aang felt his heart stop...it was Gyatso, the man Aang had just finished burying. "I'll leave you two alone," Roku said as he left the master and his pupil.

"Hello Aang," the old man smiled as some tears began to well in his eyes, "It's good to see you again." Aang felt tears in his eyes as he completely lost control and rationality once again. He ran to Gyatso and hugged him as he wildly sobbed into Gyatso's robes. Gyatso returned Aang's hug as he patted the child on the back helping him cry.

"Gyatso, I'm so sorry for everything this is all my fault. Maybe if I had been there the airbenders wouldn't have been killed, and this whole war would never have happened!!!" Aang cried harder into Gyatso's robes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!" Aang screamed into Gyatso's robes as he buried himself further within his master's robes to muffle his crying. Gyatso just patted Aang on the back continuing to help the boy cry, Gyatso let Aang cry for a few minutes.

"Shhh, shhh" Gyatso said as he continued to comfort his pupil, "Aang, you have been forgiven a long time ago, not just by me but by all the airbenders, Aang this was not your fault, it was our fault for not being prepared. Aang if you had remained at the temple the Firebenders would have killed you as well, after all they did kill me and I was more powerful than you at the time." Aang's crying began to settle down and now he simply clung himself to Gyatso. Gyatso smiled at the boy "I'm very proud of you, Aang."

"You are?" Aang said cautiously looking up at his old master, tears still slowly streaming down the boy's face.

"Of course I am. You did what was thought to be impossible, namely defeating Firelord Ozai and bringing balance to the world. And you're becoming a fine young man," Gyatso said as he dried a few tears off Aang's face with his sleeve. Aang just held on to his old master for a few minutes as tears continued falling from his eyes, "Aang it's time for you to go back."

"What, why do I have to go back now?" Aang asked.

"My time has ended, now it is your time to live. You have a life to go back to now, you have people who need and love you." Aang smiled as thoughts of his friends flashed through his mind.

_Momo and his friskiness and loyalty_

_Appa, his best friend and the one who was trapped in the ice with him_

_Sokka and his meat and sarcasm, as well as his brilliant ideas_

_Toph and her natural stubbornness and indomitable spirit_

_and_

_Katara and her sweet kind nature, the girl he was head over heals for. _

Aang blushed at the thought of Katara as he let go of his master.

"She's a good choice," Gyatso said. Aang stared at his master, "The Water Tribe girl, you have very good taste in women my young pupil." Aang blushed,

"Hey!" Aang said as Gyatso laughed,

"Now go Aang," Gyatso said smiling, "go out and live a good life, and never forget that you are not held accountable for what happened. I am always watching over you." Aang smiled.

"Thank You Gyatso," Aang said as he bowed to his master.

And Gyatso was gone

* * *

About an hour later after Aang had woken up he returned to camp, Katara ran to him while Sokka and Toph stayed back, unsure of what reaction they should have. 

"Aang, are you okay?" Katara asked as she noticed tears in the boy's eyes and a smile on his face. Aang suddenly walked directly up to her and embraced her in a hug.

"I've never been better,"

* * *

Someone else did another oneshot kinda like this before, but they focused more on the burial and I decided to focus on Aang being forgiven. I also figured that since Katara got to have an angst moment with her dad, Aang should have an 'aangst' moment with his father-figure. 

R&R

Oh yeah and if anyone says that Aang is being a whip in this I will...well I haven't decided what I'll do but I'll be miphed.


End file.
